Testing device for printed circuit boards

ABSTRACT

A testing device for testing functions of a printed circuit board (PCB) includes a transfer board electrically coupled to the PCB, and a controller board electrically coupled to the transfer board and the PCB. The transfer board includes a signal bus and a controller bus. The PCB is capable of running a test program stored therein to transmit instructions to the controller board; and the controller board is capable of transmitting control signals to the transfer board according to the instructions. The transfer board is capable of switching the PCB corresponding ports on/off; and the PCB information is capable of being transmitted to the controller board via the signal bus. The controller board is capable of converting the PCB information to network information which is uploaded to the internet.

BACKGROUND

1. Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to testing devices, and particularly to atesting device for testing functions of a printed circuit board (PCB).

2. Description of Related Art

After assembly, a printed circuit board (PCB) must be tested to insurequality. The test is for errors that occur during the assembling processof the PCB, such as open circuit, short circuit as well as the incorrectconnection between the chips. After these detections, the error signalsfrom the testing device are analyzed to find out where the error pointsare on the circuit board.

In one conventional arrangement, an untested PCB is connected to atesting board with a plurality of terminals, manually, then outputs thetesting signals from the footprints of the chips and slots. Then thetesting signals are inputted to different testing device for testingdifferent chips and slots respectively. However, because there are somany elements on the PCB, it is time-consuming, labor intensive andprone to mistakes.

Therefore, there is room for improvement within the art.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Many aspects of the embodiments can be better understood with referencesto the following drawings. The components in the drawings are notnecessarily drawn to scale, the emphasis instead being placed uponclearly illustrating the principles of the embodiments. Moreover, in thedrawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding partsthroughout the several views.

FIG. 1 is a block view of an embodiment of a testing device for printedcircuit boards.

FIG. 2 is a block view of the controller module of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a circuit view of the information upload circuit of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a circuit view of the analog to digital (A/D) conversioncircuit and micro control unit of FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is a circuit view of the video signal conversion circuit of FIG.2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The disclosure is illustrated by way of example and not by way oflimitation in the figures of the accompanying drawings in which likereferences indicate similar elements. It should be noted that referencesto “an” or “one” embodiment in this disclosure are not necessarily tothe same embodiment, and such references mean at least one.

Referring to FIG. 1, a testing device in an embodiment for testingfunctions of a printed circuit board (PCB) 100, includes a transferboard 200, and a controller board 300. The transfer board 200 iselectrically coupled to the controller board 300 via a signal bus and acontroller bus. The PCB 100 is capable of running a test program storedtherein to transmit instructions to the controller board 300. Thecontroller board 300 is capable of transmitting control signals to thetransfer board 200 via the controller bus according to the instructions.The transfer board 200 is capable of switching the PCB 100 correspondingports on. The PCB 100 information is capable of being transmitted to thecontroller board 300 via the signal bus. The controller board 300 iscapable of converting the PCB 100 information to network information,which is identified by and uploaded to the internet.

Referring to FIG. 2, the controller board 300 includes a micro controlunit 301, an information upload circuit 302, a video signal conversioncircuit 303, an analog to digital (A/D) conversion circuit 304, and aninformation storage circuit 305. The micro control unit 301 is capableof receiving information from the PCB 100. The information uploadcircuit 302 is capable of converting the PCB 100 information to networkinformation. The video signal conversion circuit 303 is capable ofreceiving multiple color signals from the PCB 100 via the signal bus,and converting the multiple color signals to a single color signal. Thesingle video signal includes a red signal, a green signal, a bluesignal, a horizontal refresh rate signal, and a vertical refresh ratesignal.

The A/D conversion circuit 304 is capable of receiving the red, green,blue signals, and converting the red, green, blue analog signals toeight bits digital signals which are transmitted to the micro controlunit 301. The information storage circuit 305 is capable of storingnormal PCB 100 information. The micro control unit 301 is capable ofcomparing the received PCB 100 information with the normal PCB 100information.

Referring to FIGS. 3˜5, the information upload circuit 302 includes anetwork information conversion chip U1, a network transformer chip U2,and a network connector J1. The network information conversion chip U1includes data receiving terminals a1˜a5 capable of receiving the PCB 100information from the micro control unit 301. The network connector J1includes data receiving terminals b1˜b8.

The network information conversion chip U1 is capable of converting thereceived PCB 100 information to network information which is transmittedto the network transformer chip U2. The network transformer chip U2 iscapable of decreasing a voltage level of the network information, andtransmitting the voltage level decreased network information to the datareceiving terminals b1˜b8. The network connector J1 is capable ofuploading the received network information to the internet. The user iscapable of checking the PCB 100 status on the internet with a servercomputer. In one embodiment, the network connector J1 includes LEDs D1and D2 for indicating transmission status of the network information.

The video signal conversion circuit 303 includes video signal conversionchips U5 and U6, comparators A1 and A2, and video signal connectorsJ2˜J4. The video signal conversion chip U5 includes data receivingterminals e1˜e4, and data transmitting terminals e5˜e8. The video signalconversion chip U6 includes data receiving terminals f1˜f3, and datatransmitting terminals f4˜f6. The video signal connector J2 includes adata terminal g1, a clock terminal g2, a horizontal refresh rateterminal g3, and a vertical refresh rate terminal g4. The video signalconnector J3 includes video terminals h1˜h3 for outputting the red,green, and blue signals.

The data receiving terminals e1˜e4 are capable of receiving the datasignals, clock signals, horizontal refresh rate signals, and verticalrefresh rate signals from the data terminal g1, clock terminal g2,horizontal refresh rate terminal g3, and vertical refresh rate terminalg4 respectively. The video signal conversion chip U5 is capable ofoutputting the data signals, clock signals, horizontal refresh ratesignals, and vertical refresh rate signals at the data transmittingterminals e5˜e8.

The data receiving terminals f1˜f3 are capable of receiving the red,green, and blue signals from the video terminals h1˜h3 respectively. Thevideo signal conversion chip U6 is capable of outputting the convertedred, green, and blue signals at the data transmitting terminals f4˜f6.The video signal conversion circuit 303 is capable of converting twovideo signals to a single video signal via the video signal conversionchips U5 and U6. The video signal conversion circuit 303 is capable ofoutputting the single video signal at the data transmitting terminals e5and e6, and f4˜f6.

In one embodiment, the data transmitting terminals e5 and e6 are capableof outputting the vertical refresh rate signals and horizontal refreshrate signals respectively. The comparators A1 and A2 are non-invertinginput terminals and are capable of receiving the vertical refresh ratesignals and horizontal refresh rate signals. The comparators Al and A2are capable of filtering the vertical refresh rate signals andhorizontal refresh rate signals with voltage levels less than 5 volts.

The A/D conversion circuit 304 includes an A/D conversion chip U3, and Nchannel MOSFETs Q1˜Q8. The A/D conversion chip U3 includes datareceiving terminals c1˜c3, and data transmitting terminals c4˜c11. Thedata receiving terminals c1˜c3 are capable of receiving the red, green,and blue signals form the data transmitting terminals f4˜f6 of U6. TheA/D conversion chip U3 is capable of converting the received red, green,and blue analog signals to eight bits digital signals which are outputat the data transmitting terminals c4˜c11.

The MOSFETs Q1˜Q8 drains are capable of receiving the eight bits digitalsignals from the data transmitting terminals c4˜c11. The MOSFETs Q1˜Q8sources are capable of outputting voltage level decreased eight bitsdigital signals. The micro control unit 301 includes a single chip U4having data receiving terminals d1˜d17. The data receiving terminalsd1˜d3 are capable of receiving the red, green, and blue signals from thedata transmitting terminals f6˜f4. The single chip U4 is capable ofcontrolling the A/D conversion circuit 304 convert the red, green, andblue analog signals to eight bits digital signals.

The data receiving terminals d10˜d17 are capable of receiving the eightbits digital signals respectively from the MOSFETs Q1˜Q8 sources. Thedata receiving terminals d4, d5 are capable of receiving the filteredhorizontal refresh rate signals and vertical refresh rate signalsrespectively. The data receiving terminals d1˜d9 are electricallycoupled to the information storage circuit 305. In one embodiment, theinformation storage circuit 305 is an erasable programmable read-onlymemory (EEPROM).

In test, the PCB 100 is electrically coupled to the testing device asshown in FIGS. 1˜5. The PCB 100 is capable of running a test programstored therein to transmit instructions to the controller board 300. Thecontroller board 300 is capable of transmitting control signals to thetransfer board 200 via the controller bus according to the instructions.The transfer board 200 is capable of switching the PCB 100 correspondingports on. The PCB 100 information is capable of transmitting to thecontroller board 300 via the signal bus.

The single chip U4 is capable of comparing the received PCB 100information with the normal PCB information. The network informationconversion chip U1 is capable of converting the received PCB 100information to network information. The network transformer chip U2 iscapable of decreasing the voltage level of the network information, andtransmitting the voltage level decreased network information to theinternet. The single chip U4 is capable of controlling the video signalconversion chips U5 and U6 convert two video signals to a single videosignal. The single chip U4 is capable of controlling the A/D conversionchip U3 convert the red, green, and blue analog signals to eight bitsdigital signals. The single chip U4 is capable of comparing the eightbits digital signals with the normal PCB information.

The present testing device is capable of testing the PCB 100corresponding ports by switching the transfer board 200 via thecontroller board 300. The controller board 300 is capable of convertingthe PCB 100 information to network information, and uploading thenetwork information to the internet. Therefore efficiency of the test isimproved, and the cost of the test is lowered.

It is to be understood, however, that even though numerouscharacteristics and advantages of the embodiments have been set forth inthe foregoing description, together with details of the structure andfunction of the embodiments, the disclosure is illustrative only, andchanges may be made in detail, especially in matters of shape, size, andarrangement of parts within the principles of the invention to the fullextent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which theappended claims are expressed.

1. A testing device for testing functions of a printed circuit board(PCB), comprising: a transfer board electrically coupled to the PCB;wherein the transfer board comprises a signal bus and a controller bus;and a controller board electrically coupled to the transfer board andthe PCB; wherein the PCB is capable of running a test program storedtherein to transmit instructions to the controller board; the controllerboard is capable of transmitting control signals to the transfer boardaccording to the instructions; the transfer board is capable ofswitching the PCB corresponding ports on; the PCB information is capableof being transmitted to the controller board via the signal bus; thecontroller board is capable of converting the PCB information to networkinformation which is identified by and uploaded to the internet.
 2. Thetesting device of claim 1, wherein the controller board is capable ofreceiving multiple color signals from the PCB via the signal bus, andconverting the multiple color signals to a single video signal.
 3. Thetesting device of claim 2, wherein the controller board comprises amicro control unit capable of receiving the PCB information, and aninformation upload circuit capable of converting the PCB information tonetwork information.
 4. The testing device of claim 3, wherein thecontroller board further comprises a video signal conversion circuitcapable of receiving the multiple color signals; the single color signalcomprises a red signal, a green signal, a blue signal, a horizontalrefresh rate signal, and a vertical refresh rate signal.
 5. The testingdevice of claim 4, wherein the controller board further comprises ananalog to digital (A/D) conversion circuit capable of receiving the red,green, blue signals, and converting the red, green, blue analog signalsto eight bits digital signals which are transmitted to the micro controlunit.
 6. The testing device of claim 3, wherein the controller boardfurther comprises an information storage circuit capable of storing thenormal PCB information; the micro control unit is capable of comparingthe received PCB information with the normal PCB information.
 7. Thetesting device of claim 6, wherein the information storage circuitcomprises an electronically erasable programmable read-only memory(EEPROM).